Day 6: Green Smoothies & Juicing 101, For Beginners

Green Juice & Smoothies: The Secret Elixir for Better Skin

Smoothies versus juicing, which is better?

Well, that depends who who you ask.

Juice from a juicer is basically a concentrated smoothie, sans fiber.

Pros: Juice is super strength liquid goodness. You get all of the nutrients without the bulk of fiber. Although fiber is good for you, too much of anything is... well, you know the saying.

Cons: Juicers are typically a bit more pricy, and cleaning juicers can be a real chore. So, if you're short on time in the a.m., this might not be the ideal option for you. If you leave your machine unwashed for more than a hour or two, you can guarantee it's going to start to go rancid, and fast. Gag-- no bueno. Also, probably not the best way to treat a pricy investment that you might want to have for more than a month.

Alternately, you can juice the night before and sacrifice a few nutrients here and there. Juice is at it's peak freshness in the first 15-20 minutes after it's been extracted.

Green Juice & Smoothies: The Secret Elixir for Better Skin

Smoothies, my personal favorite go-to beverage at home, are also full of nutrients (to a lesser concentrated degree, albeit. but they're in there all the same). Plus, a smoothie gives the sensation of feeling fuller after having one. That's because of all the fiber content.

Pros: You can really bulk up your smoothies by adding ingredients like protein powders, yogurt, oats, flax or chia seeds, nut butters, etc. As long as your blender is powerful enough to blend everything adequately, you'll have quite a few options to mix in. 

Also, depending on whether you use frozen or chilled fruit, the texture can be dense and icy to thick and liquidy. Your choice. 

Cons: I really can't think of one, since smoothies are my fave. Sorry, guys, I'm biased. 

Nevertheless, green juice and smoothies both rock and are the perfect way to start your day with several servings of fruit and vegetables! That's all the tips for now. Tune in for today's broadcast on IG and FB Live! AND sign-up below to get a gift recipe(s) relating to today's topic.

Be sure to join the wellness chat on Facebook for more wellness tips. Click the button below for 3 mean-green recipes to blend up today!

Lemony Turmeric Iced Yerba Mate

image

It’s National Iced Tea Day and this ain't your granny’s sweet tea! Chill out this summer with tall glass of Lemony Turmeric Iced Yerba Maté.

Turmeric, the bright yellow spice, has long been used as a powerful Eastern medicinal herb. It’s known to have excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. 

Amongst many other things, it can help with:

Weight management

Digestion

Cholesterol reduction

Immunity support

As if that weren’t enough, drinking Yerba Maté will not only help keep you alert with its high biocaffeine (that means natural) content, but it’s give green tea a run for the money when comes to nutritional properties. It’s what I drink daily. 

Benefits include:

Enhanced ability to focus

Supports cardiovascular health

Weight control

Enhanced physical endurance

Boosts immunity

Detoxifies blood

High anti-aging antioxidants 

Give this sweet alternative a try!

 

Recipe

What you’ll need:

12 ozs. Hot water

2 Tbsp. Loose Yerba Mate

½ Tsp. Turmeric

¼ Slice of Lemon

Honey to Desired Sweetness

What you’ll do:

1. Boil water

2. Add  yerba mate to a french press (or other tea strainer)

3. Stir in Turmeric and honey. Let tea seep as long as desired

4. Press/Strain tea and pour over ice.

5. Squeeze and add lemon

Enjoy! Makes 2 servings